Troy Aikman explains decision to leave FOX for ESPN

After two decades, Troy Aikman is leaving FOX to join the Monday Night Football broadcast at ESPN. The hall of fame quarterback revealed some surprising news — that FOX never gave him a deal to return to the network.

“It is a strange set of circumstances that led me to where I am now and not be back at Fox,” Aikman said Tuesday on 1310 The Ticket in Dallas, via Greg Joyce of the New York Post. “And I never would have envisioned that six months ago and so it is strange. When negotiations couldn’t reach, what I felt was fair value, I was able to negotiate an opt-out after six months which allowed me to be a free agent … Then Fox never jumped into the game. They never made an offer. I didn’t have any conversations with Fox, until I got a call to congratulate me on my new deal. So that was a decision they made and it’s fine.”

Before the 2021 season, the former Cowboys quarterback and FOX had worked out a four-year extension at $13.2 million per year, The Post reported. In the deal, however, was a potential opt out after the season if Aikman were to secure a bigger and better deal, which is exactly what he did. Aikman will make more than $18 million per year at ESPN.

“Some will look at it and say, ‘Troy ultimately went where the money led him,’ which is not true,” Aikman said. “Initially my plan was to stay at FOX, but as I said, that was a decision they made and I went a different route.”

Steve Levy, Brian Griese, and Louis Riddick have held down the Monday Night Football booth for the last two seasons. However, Griese’s contract is up, which could be why ESPN is working to make a big splash and sign Aikman.

The news also comes as ESPN’s contract with the NFL changes. By 2023, ESPN and ABC will add six additional games to its slate, including four doubleheaders. That means the network will need another broadcast team in the booth. Enter Aikman — a huge get for the network.

Now the next question is whether ESPN will be going after Aikman’s FOX broadcast partner in Joe Buck?

“I wouldn’t rule that out, which I would love,” Aikman said.